Bregman’s Three-Homer Night Powers Cubs Past Nationals, 12-6
The Washington Nationals fell to the Chicago Cubs, 12-6, Wednesday night at Nationals Park, as Alex Bregman delivered one of the best offensive performances of the Major League Baseball season.
Bregman blasted three home runs and drove in a career-high seven runs, helping Chicago break open a competitive game in the middle innings. The loss dropped Washington to its second consecutive defeat after entering the series coming off a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.
Nationals strike first
Washington had an opportunity to put Chicago in an early hole when the Nationals loaded the bases with nobody out in the second inning.
Daylen Lile brought home the game’s first run on a slow ground ball toward third that Cubs infielder Pedro Ramirez could not handle cleanly, giving Washington a 1-0 lead.
The Nationals could not turn the bases-loaded opportunity into a larger inning, however, and that missed opportunity became more significant as Chicago’s offense eventually found its rhythm.
Nationals left-hander Jackson Kent made his major league debut after being promoted from Triple-A Rochester earlier Wednesday.
Kent gave Washington a respectable outing against one of the National League’s hottest clubs. The 23-year-old allowed three runs on three hits and five walks over four-plus innings while striking out six.
Kent had entered the game as one of Washington’s notable pitching prospects after posting a 9-4 record and 3.72 ERA across two minor league levels this season.
Bregman changes the game
Chicago finally broke through in the fifth inning.
Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled home a run to tie the game at 1-1 and end Kent’s debut.
Washington turned to Jake Bird, who initially escaped one dangerous situation by getting Seiya Suzuki to line out with the infield drawn in.
Then Bregman stepped to the plate.
Bregman drove a sweeper into the visitors’ bullpen for a three-run homer, giving Chicago a 4-1 advantage and completely changing the momentum of the game.
Washington answered.
Harry Ford doubled home a run with two outs before a walk and an infield single loaded the bases. Lile followed by dropping a two-run single into right-center field, bringing the Nationals all the way back and tying the game at 4-4.
Lile finished with two hits and three RBIs, continuing to provide production in Washington’s young lineup.
Cubs explode in sixth
The tie did not last long.
Chicago immediately regained control in the sixth against Washington’s bullpen.
Dansby Swanson ripped a go-ahead RBI double off Tom Cosgrove to put the Cubs ahead 5-4.
Washington then brought in Yovanny Cruz, but Chicago kept attacking.
Suzuki delivered a two-run single with two outs, extending the Cubs’ advantage to 7-4.
Bregman came to the plate next and launched another two-run homer on the very next pitch, suddenly making it 9-4.
The five-run inning proved to be the decisive stretch of the night.
Washington’s offense had fought back from a three-run deficit only minutes earlier, but the Nationals bullpen could not keep the game tied.
Ortiz provides a spark
The Nationals responded again in the bottom of the sixth.
Abimelec Ortiz came off the bench and blasted a pinch-hit solo home run, trimming Chicago’s lead to 9-5.
Washington continued producing offensively throughout the night, finishing with contributions from several young players.
Ford collected two hits, an RBI and two runs scored, while Lile recorded three RBIs. Ortiz and José Tena both homered.
Unfortunately for Washington, the pitching staff could not contain Chicago.
Bregman makes history
Chicago added another run in the eighth when Swanson launched a solo homer.
Bregman then put the finishing touches on his extraordinary night with another two-run shot off Trevor Williams.
It was Bregman’s third home run of the game, giving him the first three-homer performance of his career.
He finished with seven RBIs, also a career high.
Bregman’s performance was historically rare. MLB noted that he became just the 20th player since at least 1900 to record three home runs and multiple walks in the same game.
The three-time All-Star now has 16 home runs this season.
He has also been especially productive against Washington. Six of his 16 homers have come against the Nationals, and he homered four times during the first two games of this series alone.
Bregman has been scorching hot recently as well, hitting .388 with six homers and 17 RBIs over 16 games since July 27.
Tena goes deep in ninth
Washington continued battling despite the seven-run deficit.
Tena homered in the bottom of the ninth, accounting for the final run of the evening and producing the 12-6 final.
The Nationals scored six runs and received production from several members of their developing young core, but Chicago simply produced too much offense.
Peterson gets the win
Chicago starter David Peterson improved to 7-7.
Peterson allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits across five innings. He struck out six and walked three.
Despite Washington consistently putting runners on base, Peterson avoided the knockout inning.
He has also enjoyed considerable success against the Nationals throughout his career. Peterson improved to 9-2 with a 3.23 ERA across 17 appearances against Washington and has not allowed a home run in 86 1/3 innings against the club.
Javier Assad handled the final four innings for Chicago, allowing two runs and earning his second save of the season.
Cosgrove took the loss for Washington and fell to 0-2.
MSB Take
Washington’s offense did enough to make Wednesday night’s game competitive.
The Nationals scored six runs, collected multiple clutch hits and erased an early three-run deficit. Lile had an impressive three-RBI game, Ortiz and Tena supplied power, and Ford continued showing promise.
The pitching was the difference.
Washington surrendered eight runs between the fifth and sixth innings after holding Chicago scoreless through four. Once the Nationals bullpen entered the game, the Cubs took control.
Kent’s debut also deserves some perspective.
Five walks in four-plus innings will need improvement, but six strikeouts against a talented Chicago lineup is encouraging. For a 23-year-old making his first major league start, there were positive signs despite the final line.
There was also simply very little Washington could do about Bregman.
Three home runs and seven RBIs can single-handedly decide a baseball game, and Wednesday was exactly that kind of night.
Chicago has now won eight of its last nine games and improved to 71-50, moving to a season-high 21 games above .500 and within three games of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.
The Nationals will try to avoid the series sweep Thursday afternoon at Nationals Park.
Washington is scheduled to send Cade Cavalli (9-5, 3.57 ERA) to the mound against Chicago right-hander Kevin Gausman (6-10, 4.29 ERA) in the series finale.
